A Terrible Beginning
by priorincantatem
Summary: 7th year. after a prochpecy is made, Hermione learns that she will be forced to marry her worst enemy, Draco Malfoy. What will happen when all her friends abandon her? Who will she run to? not DH compliant
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

**Disclaimer: **You guys have heard this time and time gain, but I fell the need to tell you again…. I don't own Harry Potter. I use J.K's magnificent characters and put them through my own evil ways ; )

**A/N: **Just a quick note, I want you guys to know that this fic is set in the seventh year and DOES include all the details from HBP (so be warned, there may be spoilers). Oh yes, this fic can be a bit 'depressing' at times, so if you're ready, feel free to have a go at it 

Cold. Dark. Depressed. Alone. These were the thoughts running through her head as she was being sped off for her last and final year at Hogwarts. Not that it mattered much anyway. All of her friends had abandoned her, extinguishing her from their lives forever. Hermione had never felt so alone as she sat on the cold floor of her compartment, watching the rain splatter against the dark window. Nothing could've been more soothing to her. It seemed as if the sky was reflecting her innermost thoughts.

The past few months had occurred in whirlwind, going too fast for even Hermione to begin to control. She kept asking herself over and over, why me? What had she done to deserve the gloomy fate that awaited her a soon as she had stepped on Platform 9 ¾? Everyone had stared her done, like she was some diseased animal that had suddenly made it's way into their presence and wasn't the least bit welcomed. She thought that Harry and Ron would understand at least, but not in the slightest. She was alone in the world now, without any friends or family.

It had started on her return home from Hogwarts in June. She had come home, expecting to see her parents there. Her mum and dad waiting for her when she returned, standing just outside their front door like that had done each and every summer for the past six years of Hermione's life. But this time it was different, her parents weren't there outside the door. Hermione had walked into her house, expecting to possible see them in the living room. This wasn't the case though. She had walked further into the room when she noticed a small piece of paper on the dining room kitchen. Quickly etched onto the paper were four little words…

"We need to talk".

Hermione could see marks where splashes of tears had landed on the paper, evidently written by her mother. Where were they now? She had no idea. She thought through her mind continuously that night, thinking over the things they could possibly need to talk about, waiting for her parents return.

And return they did. Hermione had rushed to her parents, moving forward to hug them, but was halted. Something was wrong. Her parents had then sat her on the couch and began to tell their story, a story that would change Hermione's life forever, sending her into a world of torment and ruin.

They told her a story of their lives, how they were actually part of the wizarding world, but were merely squibs. They had expected their daughter to be the same, left with no magical talent at all. They were overjoyed when they heard this, but their excitement was quickly been diminished. A prophecy had been made at the time of Hermione's birth, and a very horrible prophecy at that. Hermione was never told the entire contents of the prophecy, only what her parents had been told. All of this meant one thing though, a thing that would ruin her life until the day she died. She was betrothed to her worst possible enemy.

Word had spread like wildfire about the events at the end of her sixth year at Hogwarts. Draco Malfoy had wandered into the Ministry of Magic nearly two weeks after the incident. He explained that he was finally out of Snape's hold and had come to the ministry immediately. He explained of how Voldemort had put him under the imperious curse, forcing him to do the terrible deeds that he had done. He told of how Snape was constantly watching him, making sure that he could never throw the curse off. But one night he finally did it. It was that night in the lightening struck tower when he couldn't kill Dumbledore. He just couldn't. When asked by the ministry as to why Voldemort had done this Draco had explained that it was because of his father's misdeeds.

Needless to say, the ministry believed every word of it and Draco Malfoy was let off the hook, enabling him to continue his studies at Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry. And this had been where Hermione came in.

By a binding magical contract that the prophecy had made, Hermione was required to be married to and produce heirs for Draco Malfoy, here nemesis since her first days at Hogwarts. She had wept over and over again, but nothing she could do would help any. She wrote to Harry and Ron, but they had shunned her, promising that she would never be considered one of them again. Hermione had cried even harder at this.

And that is how Hermione had come to be sitting on the cold, wet floor without a friend in the world. She hadn't even scene Malfoy since her last day at Hogwarts, and was in any particular hurry to see him anytime soon either. She wished sometimes that she would fall asleep and never have to wake up to see the light of day again. As much as she hoped this had never happened. She was still alive. She would live the rest of her horrible days out, living in a constant depressed mood. She wanted her life to end, but this was merely the beginning to a brand new one, and Hermione hated every second of it.

**A/N: **So there is the prologue. Let me know if you guys are interested in having me continue with this story 


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

**Disclaimer:** You know the drill.

**A/N:** Wow. It's been nearly two years since I updated any of my stories…all that is about to change now. This one is the first to go, but I will be updated the others as well. Check back for more updates.

Hermione found herself sitting in her Advanced Muggle Studies class, twiddling her wand between her fingers. She was glad that no one really took the class besides a few Ravenclaws that knew next to nothing about her. The night before had gone as bad as she thought it would and Hermione was in no mood to relive those events.

* * *

_The seventh year Gryffindor had made her way to the Great Hall for the feast. Despite the glares that she was bound to receive from the entire hall it did not make her any less hungry. Making her way towards the Gryffindor table she noticed Harry and Ron sitting about half way down but she knew better. Hermione took a seat at the very end of the table, vacant of anyone except what appeared to be a shy second year. She didn't even glance down the table, already knowing that a great wave of heads had turned towards her as soon as she had taken a seat._

_Hermione, however, was numb to all of this. She could sense the outrage from all of her housemates, probably stretching out to the other students as well. All they could see was a traitor, someone who had gone behind their backs and turned down a bad road. If only they could truly understand…_

_Soon enough the feast was over and everyone was returning to their respective dorms. Hermione took the longer route, hoping that everyone would be in bed by the time she finally made it up to her own four poster._

* * *

As soon as her first class of the day was over, Hermione rushed from the room, intent on going back to sleep. She hadn't had a good night's rest in awhile and luckily she got her second period off. Walking up the spiraling staircase, Hermione felt her feet dragging over each and every single step. It seemed like ages but she soon made it to the Gryffindor tower.

Before she knew what was happening, a hand squeezed around hers tightly and pulled Hermione into a spare closet. Yelling and kicking as she was she could not push off her assailant. In the dark of the closet she could not make out the figure.

"_Lumos". _

"You!" was all Hermione managed to say as the room was lit up and her mouth was roughly covered by a hand.

Before her stood Draco Malfoy, thinner and perhaps even paler since the last time that she saw him. It seemed that Voldemort had done his work on him at last and it showed. As Hermione looked closer she noticed a deep cut running across his left cheek. Whatever had happened to him must have been worse then she thought.

"Are you going to be quiet Granger or am I going to have to put a silencing charm on you?"

Hermione glared at Malfoy but realized that the situation was out of her hands. She had no idea where her wand had gone to, assuming that she had dropped it when she was 'captured'. Glaring daggers at her assailant, Hermione slowly nodded in defeat.

"What is it that you could possibly want Malfoy?" Hermione asked through clenched teeth. As far as she was concerned he was the reason that everyone else was against her. Prophecy be damned, it was his fault.

"Don't give me that look. I'm as much a victim in this as you. The only difference here is that I know more about our situation then you. You've only heard half of the prophecy Granger, and I happen to know the rest. Either you can stand there and glare at me as much as you want or you can shut up and listen to what I have to say".

Draco then leaned against the wall, an amazing feat in such a small room, and placed his hands in his pockets, never taking his eyes of Hermione. She, on the other hand, held a puzzled look as she ran what he had just said through her head over and over.

"Wait…there's another part to the prophecy?", Hermione asked after what seemed like minutes but was really only seconds. She needed to hear it again before she would agree to what he was saying.

"Of course there is and I'm guessing that you've only heard the beginning", Malfoy replied quickly, never moving from the wall. "But now's not the time to get into it. I would've sent you an owl but I assumed that anything from me would've quickly been read and destroyed by five other girls, so I took measures into my own hands".

With a slight smirk, he continued to look at the brunette.

"Fine", Hermione finally agreed. "I'm only doing this so that I can hear the rest of that prophecy…if there's something you know that I don't I have the right to know. How does midnight at the Astronomy Tower sound?"

"You got in Granger".

And with a swift motion Draco Malfoy left Hermione Granger standing in the pitch black of a closet.

* * *

Hermione set any alarm using a new spell that she had learned over the summer, waking her up at 11:45 that night. She had slept in her clothes and quickly and quietly wrapped her cloak around her. She didn't want to wake any of the sleeping girls and had no desire to deal with their wrath. The quicker this little meeting of theirs got done and over with, the better.

Ascending the spiraling staircase to the Astronomy tower, Hermione felt colder then she had ever felt before at Hogwarts. She couldn't tell if it was the weather or just the feeling of loneliness that consumed her. Hermione wanted to believe that her friends would eventually turn back to her and realize that none of this was her fault…but for the time being, Hermione had one thing on her mind: the prophecy.

Finally making it up to the top of the tower, Hermione muttered the spell and a small light appeared on the tip of her wand. She knew that she was early, but Hermione was anxious to hear what Malfoy wanted to tell her. Looking around she could feel the presence of someone else in the tower. Turning around swiftly, Hermione nearly stabbed Malfoy in the face with her wand.

"God Granger, watch where you're aiming that thing", Malfoy said quickly, ducking out of the way before being hit.

"You shouldn't sneak up on me like that then", Hermione answered. She quickly extinguished the light and whispered another spell, causing the rest of the room to light up dimly. "Now what is it that you wanted to tell me?"

"Just hold on for a second and I will", Malfoy replied. "You might as well sit down though. This may come as more of a shock to you then the one you've already suffered. Believe me, it did the same thing to me. Besides, it takes more than a few minutes to tell anyway".

Malfoy then made his way to the edge of the tower, just under the stars and far enough to the edge so that you could see the rest of the grounds. Hermione, sighing, followed him and sat about five feet away. She knew that someday they would have to be closer, but that day wasn't today. Patiently holding her breath, Hermione waited for Draco to begin.

"I'm only going to go through this once Granger, so please be quiet and let me finish the story without being interrupted". Draco paused, waiting for Hermione's retort. Upon hearing none, he continued, "I'm supposing that you've only heard the first part. Basically, we are betrothed and all of those sorts of things. I'm also guessing that you're parents told you that you had to have as many children as possible to continue our bloodline. What I know you haven't heard is _why_".

"I'm going to start at the beginning so that everything is clear for you. The prophecy was given to my father from some unknown seer some seventeen years ago, just about the same time that your friend Potter's was made. My father didn't think it was best to trust this strange person but decided to hear her out regardless. What he was about to find out astounded him. The seer told him that he was to have a single son and that son should be betrothed to a girl by the surname of Granger. She continued on to tell how the offspring of this union would go on to help the dark lord and eventually lead to the destruction of the Wizarding World as we know it today."

Draco again paused here after hearing a small gasp from Granger. He noticed that her eyes were wide and her mouth slightly open, but Hermione was listening intently. Malfoy decided that he should finish the rest of the story.

"However, the prophecy continued even further. She went on to say that, if the child is brought up in the right hands and not given to the dark lord, he will be able to aid in the destruction of that lord. Now, my father being a deeply devoted follower of Voldemort, killed the seer and brought their message to him. However, he chose to leave out the part detailing the opportunity for the demise of the dark lord."

Finishing his story, Malfoy returned to looking at Hermione, wondering how she had taken the news. He was unsure of what her thoughts would be and was interested to see her view on how to get out of this mess.

After a few minutes of silence, Hermione asked, "How is it that you came to find this out, if even Voldemort himself has no idea?"

"My mother", Draco replied simply, shrugging his shoulders. "She was listening from outside the door. My father apparently had no idea he was there and she didn't tell me that she had known all along until about two weeks ago".

"What are we suppose to do?" Hermione asked, then answered her own question. "The simple truth is that there's no way out of this betrothal, but what to do after that? I don't especially care about what you're family thinks, but no child of mine will be the pawn of Voldemort, regardless of whether it belongs to you as well or not."

"I know that Granger", Draco replied with a sigh, "but there's nothing we can do about it tonight. At least you know sooner than later and we can start planning. I'm going back to my dorm now though. We'll have another one of these meetings again next week. Till then Granger".


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

**Disclaimer:**…same as always. Let's get straight to the story, shall we?

Draco Malfoy sat in his dorm alone late at night nearly a week after he and Hermione had met at the top of the Astronomy Tower. He hadn't spoken to her since and she has not sought him out. They were no closer to finding a solution to their 'problem' when a letter arrived from Lucius Malfoy himself.

_Draco,_

_As you well know, over the summer we discussed your arrangements for marrying the Granger girl. The Dark Lord has spoken with me since then and has decided on the time these arrangements will take place. The night of Halloween, you and Miss Granger will be escorted to the manor. The next day, Saturday, the two of you shall wed and be returned to school no later than Sunday night. The Dark Lord wants to make sure that the marriage in consummated straight away, ensuring an heir before the school dismisses for Christmas break. _

_It is in your best interests to make friends with the girl. The quieter she comes along, the easier this will be on all of us. The Dark Lord would also like me to remind you that it is your best interests to come along quietly, lest a more severe punishment awaits you then the one after you ran to the ministry._

_Sincerely,_

_Lucius Malfoy_

Draco placed his head in his hands, avoiding looking at the piece of parchment thrown on the floor. There seemed that the only solution was to follow through with it.

* * *

Hermione nearly tripped over her own feet as she ran to her Transfiguration class that morning. She had slept in late that day having stayed up all last night, mulling over the last week's events in her head. Hermione nearly fell over a first year as they came out of their classroom.

"I'm so sorry!" Hermione began before noticing a small piece of paper that the student was trying to give to her.

"I'm supposed to give this to you", the student replied simply, handing Hermione the paper and walking off. Confused, but still running late, Hermione stashed the letter inside her book bag and continued to class. Luckily she made it there without a minute left to spare.

As Hermione walked into the classroom she realized suddenly that something was off. Looking around she saw that the class was a small mix of seventh year NEWT students, including Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Draco Malfoy. It seemed as if a silent war had been taking place previously, until she stepped into the room of course.

Looking over at Harry and Ron she found no explanation. All she received from the pair were two identical dirty looks. Changing her gaze to the other side of the classroom, Malfoy seemed to be more in a daze, looking at nothing and no one in particular. Decidedly, Hermione chose a seat in the middle, clearly between the two opposing sides.

The class went by relatively slow with no more than a few harsh glares between the Slytherins and Gryffindors. They spent the entire class time changing their seats from ordinary chairs to different exotic animals. Hermione was, of course, the first to exceed, successfully changing her chair into a monkey and back again.

When the class period ended, and thankfully it went by quick enough, Hermione rushed from the classroom, not wanting to cause any conflict. She didn't, however, notice the letter she had received earlier drop from her bag.

"Oh look at this Harry", Hermione heard Ron calling from behind her. "It seems as if Hermione is getting letters from her newest lover! Let's see what we might find inside it".

Hermione stormed back to her, previously, two best friends as they laughed, attempting to open the letter. However, it seemed to of been magically sealed, denying them entrance.

"Give that back to me Ron!" Hermione replied sternly, snatching the letter back from him in a single swift motion. "You have no right reading anything that belongs to me, and that goes for you too Harry! As far as I'm concerned, the two of you kicked me out of your lives and I would appreciate it if you stayed out of mine as well".

Dumbfounded, the pair stared at Hermione as she swiftly turned and left the corridor. As she turned the corner, Hermione stopped, tears swelling in her eyes, opening the letter that she had forgotten about, she quickly read it's contents.

_Granger_

_I have some new information that might help us out. I think we need to meet again tonight. Let's say 10 tonight in the Room of Requirement. I don't want to be interrupted, so I think this is the best place to meet up from now on._

_Malfoy_

* * *

Hermione wandered down the corridor later that night. She supposed that she would have to get use to these late night meetings. After all, how else were they suppose to meet up? They didn't want their business across the entire school…that would probably only lead to more conflict.

The Gryffindor continued walking until she reached the wall concealing the Room of Requirement. Hermione paced back and forth for a few minutes, concentrating on finding a place for her and Malfoy to talk in private. Within no time a huge iron door appeared, leading the way to the room.

As soon as Hermione opened the door she realized that the Room of Requirement had changed a lot since the days of Dumbledore's Army. Looking about she saw that the room was barely larger than the Gryffindor common room and very dimly lit. The only furniture in the room was two black leather couches facing each other, a small table separating the two in the middle. Hermione could barely see the top of a blonde colored head from where she was standing.

Hermione walked around the first couch and sat on the opposite, facing Malfoy who was concentrating on a piece of parchment in his hands. The Gryffindor wasn't even sure that he had noticed her so she made a slight cough. This finally broke his attention from the letter, or what Hermione supposed was a letter. She couldn't read Malfoy's face well so she had no idea what was so important

"You wanted to talk to me Malfoy?" she asked after a few more silent seconds. Before Hermione had even got the words out of her mouth the Slytherin had handed over the parchment, leaving Hermione to read it's contents. As she read the color drained from her face. She looked up at him, eyes glistening slightly. Hermione wouldn't cry in front of him though. He wouldn't get that sort of satisfaction from her.

"So what do we do?" Hermione asked slowly.

"There's not much that we really can do Granger", Malfoy replied, not looking at her but continuing to stare at his now empty hands. "We're going to have to do everything that he says. Voldemort already knows about the prophecy, so not much is going to stop him. I don't see Voldemort taking no easily".

"We have to do _something_ though", Hermione replied quickly, throwing down the damned letter. "We can't just let Voldemort, or your father, do something like this."

"What do you propose we do then Granger?" Malfoy asked, suddenly standing up. "There's no way out of this. My father will force it anyway he wants, and it's not as if we can go run to the ministry. It's not as if I'm on their good sides and I doubt that anyone will believe us".

Hermione was quiet now, running through their possible options. There was one that kept coming back to her but it would never work. It was a dumb thing to think of and the thought of actually going through with it was too much to bear. What would her friends think? Then again, hadn't t those same friends turned their backs on her as soon as she need them most…

Hermione looked up and noticed that Malfoy was pacing the small room, obviously thinking through their situation as she had just done. She took a deep breath before revealing where her train of thought had led her.

"What if we went through with it…", she began quietly, not knowing how he would react. Hermione knew it was going to be bad when Malfoy stopped suddenly to look straight at her.

"What do you mean 'go through with it'?" Malfoy asked sternly before answering his own question. "Actually go through with this marriage and have a child? I honestly thought you would fight this to you're dying day".

Hermione then stood up so that she felt more of an equal. Granted, Malfoy still stood at nearly a foot higher than her.

"That's exactly what I'm suggesting. We'll do whatever you're father, as well as Voldemort, says. We do exactly as they say and act as if we enjoy every minute of it", Hermione retorted, a thoughtful look in her eyes. "Didn't you say yourself that the child can be used for good? If my thinking is correct, you're father has no idea that you know this other tid bit of information. Why not use that against him?"

Draco continued to look at Hermione before sitting back down on the couch and leaning his head into his hands. Hermione took his lead and followed suit, only this time sitting on the same couch as he was. She waited patiently then, not wanting him to have some sort of outburst.

"I never thought I would say this to you, but you've got a good idea there Granger", Malfoy finally responded, not bothering to remove his head from his hands. "Nobody will ever suspect us to be a 'happy couple' and that's what we'll use to our advantage. No one can know though, even you're precious Potter. As of now, everyone is a risk for letting out our secret".

Hermione knew that there was no way that she could tell her, she hoped, two best friends. If they were going to go through with this no one could know their true intentions until then end. Hermione forced herself to think of the outcome, not the means that it would take to reach that goal. The Gryffindor only responded when she noticed Malfoy staring at her.

"I think we have a plan".


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

**Disclaimer: **Same as always…I still don't own Harry Potter. Big shock. I know.

It was one of those cool, October days as Hermione Granger sat out by the lake, looking out into the distance. It was a Saturday, and only about nine in the morning, so many of the other students had chosen to stay in their warm beds. But not Hermione. It had been almost three weeks since she and Malfoy had come up with their plan and the Slytherin boy hadn't even spoken to her. The brunette didn't know if it was done intentionally, or if there was nothing more to talk about at the moment. She didn't know what to do in all honesty. Most nights Hermione just laid in bed, thinking of everything that was about to happen. On one hand, she had no idea why she agreed to help him in the first place. Mostly she was still uncertain as to whether or not he did indeed kill Dumbledore. Second, he had been her enemy for years and all of a sudden she wanted to help him. Why?

Turning to look back towards the castle, Hermione guessed that it was partly from sympathy and pity, and partly because it might actual be for the good. Yes, the plan in itself, from Voldemort's point of view was purely to wreck havoc on the wizarding world, but what is she and Malfoy actually pulled through with their plan? They might even stand a chance of defeating the Dark Lord right behind his back. Hermione knew, however, that their intentions wouldn't do unnoticed, but that didn't seem to matter. The Gryffindor girl knew, at that moment, that it truly was the right thing to do.

* * *

Sighing, Hermione walked into the dark Entrance Hall near eight on November first. It seemed that Malfoy senior had changed his mind and didn't want the two escorted to the manner. He feared that someone, namely Professor McGonagall, would find the situation suspicious and dictate that they were not allowed to leave. Not wanting this to happen, Lucius had written Draco the previous week, informing him and Hermione that they should meet together, then walk up to what had been Professor Dumbledore's office, but now belonged to the Headmistress, Professor McGonagall. In his letter, Lucius stressed the importance of making them seem legitimately in love as to not get a curious look from McGonagall. Hermione thought that the learned woman might suspect something, what with the waltzing up and signing a marriage license, but she hadn't come to find them yet.

Malfoy was standing at the bottom of the staircase, hands in his pockets and leaning against the stone wall. Both had agreed to not make this occasion overly important, so Malfoy was seen wearing a simply pair of black slacks, a long-sleeved, black, button down shirt and his customary black robes. In all, he looked to Hermione like he did this every other day of the week and this day was nothing special. In truth, the Gryffindor herself hadn't even put any real effort into it. She two wore a pair of black pants, except with short heels, and a red blouse. Nothing two special and nothing screaming that this was what she wore everyday. Both looked like this was the most ordinary thing in the world.

Hermione walked down the last few steps, coming to stand next to Malfoy. She gave a sort of half smile, as if she was trying to take it all in without getting emotional. She had two many things going through her head, so Hermione's smile was less the encouraging. Malfoy noticed this, so he simply nodded. It was no time for an emotional break down, and both knew this. They had to pull of the façade of a couple in love and they couldn't do that with an angry Slytherin and Gryffindor looking as is she's about to break into tears.

Draco slowly grabbed hold of Hermione's hand and started leading her up to the old Headmaster's office, giving her hand a small a small squeeze of encouragement. As much as he hated the girl standing next to him, Malfoy hated Voldemort even more. He was determined to come out on top, whatever the costs. It would sure be a long and hard road, but it was the only choice. Let someone else live your life, or live it for yourself. It was one or the other, no middle ground.

The two seventh years reached the stone gargoyle much quicker then they had hoped, and Draco muttered the password ("licorice wand") that McGonagall had sent him in an unmarked letter that morning. The boy almost dragged Hermione up the stairs leading to the large door, and knocked twice.

The door swung open as soon as he knocked and Hermione was surprised to find the interior exactly how it had been when it was Dumbledore there instead. The many different objects whirled about and the pensieve sat in the far corner, emitting an eerie glow. The one difference was the large portrait of Dumbledore, hanging amongst the rest of Hogwart's previous headmasters, and that it was McGonagall sitting behind the large desk.

The Headmistress in question sat straight in the chair, her eyes stern as she looked at the couple. She continued to say nothing as Hermione and Draco took seats in front of the desk, just then decided to let go of each other's hand. They looked expectantly at the older woman, hoping that she would speak up first, and speak she did.

"It has come to my attention, through the means of your father Draco, that you and Miss Granger wish to be wed as soon as possible. I have to honestly ask myself why this is, but have agreed that it is none of my business. You are both of proper age and have the legal right to do so".

Professor McGonagall looked down at the two, her eyes piercing through theirs, trying to detect any flicker of resentment. Inside, Hermione's world was crashing down around her, but she wouldn't let it show on her face. Their whole plan depended on them keeping up a front and it was no time to let their guard down. Finally, the witch decided that there were no objections, and continued on.

"I do hope the two of you realize the seriousness of what you are doing. Marriages in this world are binding and cannot be broken for any reason. I hope that the two of you have thought long and hard about this decision before signing this contract".

It was then that the two noticed the long roll of parchment laying along the desk. It was about two feet in length, detailing all conditions of the marriage. Surprisingly, Hermione was the first to respond to McGonagall's statement.

"Professor, I know exactly what Draco and I are doing and know all the consequences of it….". Hermione could hear Malfoy move a bit uncomfortably behind her and knew that it was time to wrap things up. This shouldn't have taken quite so long, or so much thought. Leaning forward, the girl grabbed the large eagle feather quill, dipped it in the ink, and signed her name at the bottom of the contract. Turning, she gave an overly encouraging to Malfoy and, without saying anything, he took the quill from Hermione and signed his name on the bottom as well.

"Well, Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, it's about time the two of you returned to your house dormitories". McGonagall got up quickly, grabbed the parchment, and tapped it with her wand, wrapping it up and sealing it.

"Goodnight Professor", the two students said in unison, Draco leaving the room after Hermione.

* * *

Hermione and Malfoy walked down the moon lit corridor, back to Gryffindor tower. Hermione had protested that she could make it alone, but Draco had insisted that it was the 'husbandly' thing to do, causing Hermione to laugh a bit, despite herself. Walking down the dimly lit corridor, she tried to wrap her mind around everything that had happened so far. It was hard to believe that she was no long Hermione Granger, but Hermione Malfoy now. That wasn't something she was ready to announce to the world yet, or even the rest of Hogwarts. She was happy that Draco had agreed with her and decided that they should wait until the time was right.

After what seemed like hours, the two silent teenagers reached the Gryffindor portrait, leading into the common room. Hermione was about to walk straight up to her dorm, without a word, when she felt a strong hand pull her back.

"I thought you should have something, just to make this whole thing seem as legitimate as possible", Draco stated simply, pulling a small black box out of his pocket. Hermione was shocked, not expecting an act like this. It must have clearly shown on her face because Malfoy started to laugh.

"What? Never gotten a gift from a boy before?" Malfoy shook his head and opened the box to reveal a beautiful ring inside. The band was white gold with a large diamond in the middle, two smaller ones on each side. Picking up the ring and taking Hermione's hand, he placed it on her left right finger.

Hermione didn't know what to say. She was shocked and amazed, to say the least. She never expected something like this and wasn't ready for it when it hit her. Of course, he didn't get on one knee but acted as if this was an everyday occurrence. That didn't really matter to Hermione though, the thought was there.

"Thanks, it's beautiful", she finally managed to speak up, looking down at the ring, and, for some unknown reason, she leaned forward and pulled Malfoy into her, wrapping her arms around him. There was no way for her to explain her emotions, so Hermione opted for a more physical approach. She was surprised when Draco didn't pull back in obvious disgust, and was even more surprised when he too wrapped his arms around her.

Hermione could feel a swift rush of emotions and couldn't help but tear up a bit. Everything had happened so quickly and the Gryffindor hadn't been able to let it all at. She felt a bit ashamed, not to mention embarrassed, crying into Draco's chest, but he didn't let on that he was uncomfortable, and for that she was grateful

After a few minutes of silence, the two lost in the moment, Hermione felt Draco pull from her and look down into her eyes, his arms still around her tightly. Hermione tried to read the look in his eyes, but gave up; she had never seen that look before. She wasn't sure what it was…she knew that Malfoy had no real feelings for her, and this was just a charade, but Hermione still wished she knew what he was thinking.

Mid-thought, Hermione was suddenly interrupted from her thinking process when a pair of soft lips came down and met her own. Hermione didn't know how to react, but felt herself leaning into the kiss, deepening it at once. She could feel Draco's body reacting to this, pulling her closer to him. Hermione had no idea what to do but she was too wrapped up in the moment. The Gryffindor girl hadn't even realized how close they were to the stone wall when suddenly her back met it, Draco using his body to hold her up to the wall. She could feel herself melting in his arms, mentally willing him to deepen the kiss, when the portrait hole suddenly swung open.


End file.
